Most people don’t even know that you can print your favorite artwork on your Plate with Sublimation Plates and the ones who know are stuck in, where to start, what do I need for it, and is it food safe to eat on that plate?
So, today we are going to explain everything you need to know about Sublimation Plates and their printing process on ceramic plates. Also, answer the most asked common question about Sublimation a blank plate into Sublimation Plate.
Sublimation Plates
To make sure that you get outclass results on your plates with sublimation on them, you require some essential accessories to get started with printing.
- Sublimation Printer
- Heat Press Machine
- Paper and Ink
- Plate Blank
- Heat Resistant Tape
Sublimation Printer:
The printer is the first and one of the most important components for Sublimation Plate, you need the right printer in the first place because it will save your time and testing prints to get desired and top-notch results.
Epson 7710 can be a great choice for this, it’s also very budget-friendly as well, if you wanna learn more about it, you can check this Epson WF-7710 Sublimation Printer review.
Plate Blank:
Before buying the Plate Blank, we would recommend you to check these few things,
- Size of the plate, make sure it is the exact size you want to get your artwork printed on.
- Make sure that there is nothing already printed on the plate, especially in the center.
- It should be a sublimation blank plate and the material of the plate should be ceramic.
Heat Press Machine:
A heat press machine will be used for transferring/printing the artwork from the paper to the plate. It should be lightly pressured so that our plate will not get damaged by it. This machine must be adjustable or the exact same size as the Plate Blank you ordered.
Paper and Ink:
You have to convert your printer into sublimation one by changing its ink, make sure your new ink is sublimation and original one.
While finalizing the paper, you should go with sublimation paper as it supports the process and can bring more colorful and detailed results along with the high-quality sublimation ink.
Heat Resistant Tape:
The tape will be used as a support accessory for artwork which we want to be printed on the plate blank.
Process of Sublimation and Printing Plate
Sublimation and Printing on the Plates are easy to do, but you need to follow some steps and execute them in the right manner to get the most elegant and beautiful piece of your artwork.
- Step 1
Get your sublimation printer-ready, get your design printed on the sublimation paper. Make sure you have already done the measurements of the plate and design, and print the design according to the size of the plate blank.
- Step 2
Cut the extra paper from the printed design on sublimation paper.
- Step 3
Place the paper on your Blank Plate, make sure that the plate is new and has never gone through any sublimation process, and have no designs on the area when you wanna sublimate your design.
- Step 4
Put some heat-resistant tape on the paper and plate to make them attach for the heat press process, otherwise, your paper might get moved from the area where you want it to be.
- Step 5
When all 4 steps are done, now it’s time to do the heat press. Place your plate on the heat press machine with 375-400F for around 160-240 seconds. Now leave the plate for some time to get it cooled down to room temperature, and when it’s done remove the paper and tape and your design is on the plate, and you are done with the Sublimation Plate!
Where to Buy these things?
You can buy these printers, paper, heat press machines, resistant tape, and Plate Blank from these 6 most credible retailers.
- Amazon
- Coastal Business
- Etsy
- Walmart
- eBay
- HeatPressNation
Amazon:
The biggest online retailer features a large and wide variety of products with top class support in case of any inconvenience. In addition, you can choose the low price products there as well, as there is a wide variety of products. So, you can easily find the best and genuine products there which you need for sublimating the plates.
Coastal Business:
Coastal business is the online printing & sublimation accessories supplier located in Hazelwood. You can get all your needs and requirements for sublimation fulfilled from them. They mostly deal in Shirts Blank, Printers, Ink, and other sublimation printing-related stuff. They also do offer same-day shipping & easy returns, and good customer support.
Etsy:
Ideal and most favorite site for architecture and art lovers, this site mostly deals with art, vintage, and decor-related items. But you can find amazing deals and products related to sublimation printing especially shirts and plates blank with some amazing vintage designs as well. You can easily find the best plates for sublimation there.
HeatPressNation:
Here’s another great site for purchasing sublimation accessories. The best part of the site is that it offers a full refund if you find the same product they offer at a cheaper price on any other platform. The reason for this claim is that they source the products in bulk which gives them an edge over other suppliers and helps you as well to get top quality products at a much cheaper price. They also offer 30 days of easy return.
Walmart:
The second-biggest online retailer, this site has a large and wide variety of products in all categories, you can easily find some amazing Inks, Blanks, and Printers there. You can even do the store pickup from them or shop offline by visiting your nearest store. They also offer free shipping on a certain amount of shopping in a single checkout.
eBay:
After many options to buy from, if you are still confused then this site can solve your problem, eBay which is one of the oldest online buying platforms has all in one wide variety of products in all categories, you can find sublimation printers, blanks, inks, tapes, heat press machines and all the stuff needed for a complete sublimation process. eBay is also famous for used items, you can even find and buy used or refurbished items at low prices.
Tips Before Getting Started With Sublimation Plates
Before starting your journey with sublimation plates you need to know a few things from which best and most efficient ones are these.
- Make sure that the plate you’re gonna sublimate is completely blank or at least the part you wanna print on.
- Pre heat and adjust the right temperature of the heat press machine before pressing.
- Your printer ink should be original, if it’s not the colors of the art on the plate might lose their elegance.
- Lastly, before printing the print on the paper, make sure that you know where to print on the plate and the size of that print as well. This will save your time and resources from testing it multiple times just to find what’s the best area and size of the print should be.
Conclusion
Printed plates are one of the oldest traditions in western houses, and nowadays sublimated plates. You can gift these to your loved ones and make them happy. No doubt sublimation plates are a very easy and interesting process to go through and when you do it correctly, the results will definitely be rocking and classy.